Patients receiving or considering methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) for opioid dependence often express concern that methadone causes bone disease and dental decay. Although this has long been considered a misconception, low bone density has been noted in some MMT patients. This cross-sectional study sought to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with vitamin-D deficiency in patients receiving MMT.

• Of the 93 patients enrolled in the study, 36% had evidence of vitamin-D deficiency and an additional 16% had evidence of insufficiency.
• Vitamin-D deficiency was associated with age over 40 and black or Hispanic race/ethnicity.
• Longer enrollment in MMT was not associated with vitamin-D deficiency.

Comments by Tom Delaney, MSW, MPA
An increasing number of addiction-treatment advocates and agencies are promoting a model of recovery that encompasses health issues beyond addiction itself. Such a model addresses what many addiction counselors have long observed and what has increasingly been verified in studies; i.e., that clients have a high incidence of comorbid conditions. Addiction counselors can have a major role in promoting emerging addiction treatment models by availing themselves of research on comorbid conditions such as that covered in this summary.